Caption by Hyatt to debut in Haymarket in 2025
Hilton has announced it will bring one of its youngest brand to Haymarket in Sydney’s city in 2025 after entering into a partnership with LFG Property Pty Ltd. Construction has already begun on the new 174-room property.
Caption is one of Hyatt’s newest brands, with the first hotel opening under the name in Memphis, Tennessee, in the United States in 2023. The brand endeavours to be grounded in the local community and blend upscale lifestyle and select service hotel approaches. While it is unclear whether the hotel will have meeting space, it will located near the convention centre, with Haymarket bordering Darling Harbour where ICC Sydney is located.
“As a brand centered on enabling authentic connections and experiences for today’s tech-savvy traveller, this new development will create an environment where guests and locals alike can feel at home, in a space that reflects the character of the community,” said Hyatt’s group president for Asia Pacific, David Udell.
“The continued growth of the Caption by Hyatt brand in Asia Pacific also represents the Hyatt’s commitment to growing its lifestyle and leisure portfolio, engaging travellers who seek to get closer to the people who make a place what it is.”
Hotel Morris to open next week
In the nearer future, Accor’s Hotel Morris will open in Sydney next Wednesday, also in Haymartket, representing the entry of the hotel group’s new Handwritten Collection brand into Australia’s east coast market.
The 82-room independently-owned boutique hotel is just 11 minutes’ walk from the convention centre.
The new property, once Australia’s tallest hotel, will feature a 40-seat wine bar, helmed by Rosy Scatigna, who cut her culinary teeth in Michelin-starred restaurants in Italy and the UK and was most recently in the kitchen at Shell House, also in the Sydney CBD, which has boasted some of Australia’s best culinary talent.
Hotel Morris is the second Handwritten Collection to open in Australia, after the Wonil Hotel Perth opened earlier in the year, but remains as one of the first group of properties to open under the brand worldwide, with the collection launched in January this year.
First look at the new JW Marriott Auckland
Marriott International has released the first images of the forthcoming JW Marriott Auckland, as it works through a NZ$25 million conversion of the existing Stamford Plaza property.
The first set of rooms to be fully transformed will be complete by September, with bookings to open thereafter. The renovation of all of the hotel’s 286 rooms is expected to be complete by mid-2024, with floors completed one at a time and the hotel remaining open throughout.
All food and beverage spaces, meeting rooms and the hotel’s lobby are also set for a full renovation.
“With the full transformation of JW Marriott Hotel Auckland on the horizon, we are thrilled to offer a glimpse of what guests can expect ahead,” said Marriott’s area vice president for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, Sean Hunt.
“The new room designs perfectly encapsulate our brand DNA, reflecting the legacy of our founder J. Willard Marriott’s vision of holistic wellbeing and mindfulness — allowing travellers to bring their whole selves and be truly present to experience Auckland to the fullest.”
IHG Hotels & Resorts opens Holiday Inn Dandenong
A 124-room Holiday Inn, with 16 new rooms has opened in Melbourne’s outer south east suburb of Dandenong, after a $12 million facelift by property owner Pelligra Group, with whom IHG already has a working relationship.
The property also has 154m2 of event space, with the largest space able to accommodate up to 120 people or be split into two smaller spaces. A third space is suitable for small meetings.
“We see the launch of this new Holiday Inn as another milestone in Dandenong’s revitalisation, with the area being a hub for various workforces including manufacturing and construction, as well as education and health services,” said Holiday Inn Dandenong’s general manager Scott Schaefer.
IHG Hotels & Resorts’ managing director for Australasia and the Pacific, Matt Tripolone, provided some wider context for the new opening.
“We are thrilled to continue the strong momentum of the Holiday Inn brand in Australasia, especially after a wealth of new signings in diverse city and metropolitan locations across the region,” said Tripolone.
“Holiday Inn Dandenong is an exceptional example of the brand’s next generation design as we continue to evolve our offering in IHG Hotels & Resorts’ Essentials category – from leading Open Lobby concepts to functional, design-led rooms and culinary offers that complement the diverse community.”
